Sometimes I am not in the mood for a big dinner, but still crave the savory taste of something lighter. This was the case when we had a very late lunch, and so I decided to make this sumptuous soup.
- Creamy Broccoli Bacon & Cheddar Soup
It still had a vegetable, and protein, and, with the help of crusty bread, the carbohydrate was taken care of as well! Cooking, and then pulverizing the bacon into the soup puree gave the little bacon I used, a presence in every spoonful.
I bought something called a Double Cream Cheddar out of curiosity the other day and it turned out to be the perfect balance of creamy texture and sharpness.
This was a great light dinner, but of course would also make a lovely lunch or first course to a meal.
____________________________________
You will need: 4 big broccoli, including all of the stem save the last 2 inches, separate the florets & slice the stem, 1 small red onion, diced, 6 pieces of bacon, 1 1/2 cups cheddar cheese, 3 cups chicken broth, 1 cup heavy cream, salt and pepper to taste.
1 – Cut three pieces of bacon into slices. Put medium soup pot on medium/low heat and add the bacon. Cook until getting slightly crispy (8 or so minutes). Add the diced onion and continue to cook for another 8 minutes, stirring occasionally.
saute onions and bacon
2 – While onions are cooking, fry the remaining stripes of bacon. When cool enough to handle, chop and set aside until serving soup.
fry bacon for garnish
3 – Add the broth and broccoli and bring to a simmer. Cover and simmer gently until broccoli is soft (10 minutes).
add broth and broccoli, and simmer
4 – Turn off heat and let liquid cool for 10 minutes. Scoop solids from liquid and transfer to food processor along with the heavy cream. Blend until very smooth. Pour broccoli back into pot making sure to scrap the sides of the processor.
add cream and cheese
5 – Taste for addition of salt and pepper. Turn on stove to medium heat and add the cheese. Stir until cheese has melted and the soup is hot. Add more cream or broth if you like a thinner soup. Turn off heat.
Ladle into bowls and top with a dollop of whipped cream and chopped bacon. Serve with fresh crusty bread.
Crappy Kitchen - Good Dinners! 